A collaborative blog among students from Spain, Italy, France and Germany

Tuesday, February 23, 2010

Castra Cecilia, Roman camp

Castra Cecilia was a permanent Roman camp, also known as "Cáceres el Viejo ", located about 2.5 km northeast of the city of Caceres, on the road to Torrejon el Rubio, a member of the Republican era (circa 78 BC C.), according to his own denomination would be funded by Caecilia Metellus during the wars between Sertorius, and Metellus himself.

It was a rectangular enclosure, built near the river Almonte on a small elevation of 24 hectares (approximately 399 x 680 meters), rich and luxurious inside him 1 or 2 legions. Like all permanent camps, was surrounded by a wall four feet wide, formed by two masonry walls erected in slate and quartzite. His defensive system was completed with two pits dug into the slate floor around him. The innermost had a V-shaped section, four meters wide and two deep, the outside distance of 3.50 meters, was narrower (1.50 m) and shallower (0.70 m).

It was excavated in the early twentieth century by the German archaeologist Schulten. Currently, the architect and archaeologist Ramon Canas M. Luz Gonzalez, last to excavate the site, have determined the system accesses. On one hand, have re-excavated the Porta Praetoria, north (at the end of the road Pretoria), and the holder Principalis Sinistra, southwest (the experts have found that I had two quadrangular towers flank protection) and have cleared the Quintana portal to the east, which opened onto the path of the same name. This road crossed the camp, dividing it into two equal parts. The doors were more advanced trenches as added protection systems.

As Alba Plata project development of the Extremadura has opened in its interior, in an old farmhouse, an interpretive center with several units that show the lifestyle of its occupants, and a model of the camp, rooms , armor and a video about everyday life in it.

Some archaeologists believes that "Cáceres el Viejo" is really Castra Servilia, without actually agreeing on the issue since no one can say with certainty where the two were placed pointing vicus Pliny: Cecilia and Castra Castra Servilia, the less unless one of them was very near Norba Caesarina or what were its ruins (known by the name of Castris), so that the Arabs called it 'Qazrix' or 'Hizn Qazris', "Caceres Red", probably alluding to the color of its walls made from cob (rammed earth).

According to other authors Celtiberian there was a fort located in the Barrio Monumental current, which does correspond to Castra Servilia on which Cesarina Norba founded by Lucius Cornelius Balbus to the year 24 BC C.

On the outskirts of the city of Caceres and Aldea Moret are located quite 'Turris' or towers located on high places with the task of monitoring strategic locations such as roadways or private villas.